The Death of Holy Rome Right?
by Master-of-All-Time
Summary: Holy Rome had to be dead, since he no longer had a nation; that was just common sense. But what does Austria say to common sense? Or Prussia? Maybe France knows something more? (or my version of what happened to HRE)
1. The Battle

_**Chapter One: The Battle**_

**Nobody knows the true story of what became of Holy Rome… Right? Well, a certain aristocrat says otherwise… Also, Holy Rome only looks about 16 in this opening, for those who get easily lost/confused. ^^ (As for Prussia under "Characters, that's because he's extremely important later on)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, any Hetalian characters, or anything else mentioned in this story, except for any OC's I might use.**_

He fell into the mud, gasping in pain; and he'd barely been hit once! That's how he knew, how he knew his time was up. Holy Rome felt his body weakening, his body failing slowly. This was going to be his last battle, his last day, his last _everything_. Holy Rome had never even gotten to see Italy again…

"_No…" _he breathed out helplessly. He'd promised, _promised _his Italia that he'd return. Holy Rome could deal with his disease kicking in, or his empire falling if that happened later, but…

"Please, _please_," he begged. "I-I want to… to see her a-again… P-please, I'm beg-begging…!" It was a desperate, last-request plea, but he had to say it out loud, just to know that he _did_ still care for her. "I, F-Frederich Beil-Beilschmidt… I w-will not… ngh… give u-up… on… Ita…" he said, losing strength with every letter that passed his lips. "It..a…li…a" He collapsed.

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France was more ruthless than ever. He was sick and tired of being mocked for how weak he was! He was slicing down man after man, set on finding Holy Rome himself so that he could end a nation and finally get some damn credit! Finally, though, he and his men were the only ones left standing. Bewildered, France wondered if he'd killed him accidently, or if he'd escaped.

_Non, I would've felt his presence had I killed him… And there's no way he could run fast enough to escape with how injured his empire was already, _France thought. "You there!" he shouted to one of his men. "Yessir!" they responded with a salute.

"Look around for a man in a black cloak with blonde hair and blue eyes and bring him to me! He also could be wearing a black hat," he ordered. "Yessir!" he shouted again, not once breaking salute. As he marched off, France turned angrily back to the battlefield. "_Merde," _he hissed under his breath. France was severely ticked at losing his target, and he was highly doubtful that he would find him; or if he did, he was relatively sure Holy Rome would be dead.

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Austria had been in the area when France and Holy Rome's armies had engaged, and he was currently curled behind a tree, hugging his knees close to his chest. He hadn't moved from that position for hours, and he had no plan to move any time soon. But then…

"Hey, sir? A-are you alive?" someone asked. Austria opened his eyes and jumped away from the voice. His stiff body protested greatly to movement, but Austria hadn't been prepared for someone to spot him. The man in a French uniform that was standing in front of him sighed in relief. "Good, I wasn't sure if could live with me if I thought we'd killed a… someone not on either side of the battle," he said with a very, very thick accent. It was also apparent that he only barely knew English.

"Um, have you seen a… English word… a man with yellow hair and… bleu eyes?" he asked. "He said that he could be… were? Ah, wearing a… a darkly-colored cloak and hat," he said, getting straight to his business. _Holy Rome...?_ Austria thought in worry. "No, I haven't. I was, ah… s-sleeping," he lied. "In that way? Through a battle?"

"I've been caught up in many battles," Austria said. It was true; even if he wasn't in uniform, he'd had to fall suddenly to the ground and crawl away many times when a battle had unexpectedly started. The man simply nodded. "Oui… Well, if you spot him, please tell me fast." And he was gone.

Austria stretched his body out, despite his muscle's protests; though he did have to sit around a little while until he was able to get enough feeling in his legs and arms to stand up. As soon as he could stand on his own, though, he rushed toward the piles of dead bodies- most of which were Holy Roman soldiers. Even in battle, he had worn the same clothes.

Austria scoffed slightly; that French imbecile could spot him easily if he had the sense to look at the bodies! Austria knelt down beside him, a sullen expression on his face. Italy was going to be so upset… He put a hand on Holy Rome's body and closed his eyes…

…_Wait…. Wait a…!_ His eyes shot open and he looked at Holy Rome in shock. Impossible… He'd swear he felt Holy Rome's body move slightly upwards, as if he were breathing! Austria carefully picked up Holy Rome's left arm and felt for a pulse. _No fucking way…_ Austria thought. He was only able to stare in wonder at the former nation's body.

This was just… so impossible in so many ways. Still, Austria scooped up his young body and darted away as fast as he could go.

**So I was bored and then read a fic about Holy Rome dying; that got me back into what I call my "Chibitalia Mode". I do sort of believe Holy Rome "died", but not really. LOL confusion. So how I see it should be sort of obvious based on the intro., but if not, Austria and his fancy doctors will explain soon enough! Rate, review, whatever! Just show respect for me and others, 'kay?**


	2. Sickness and Chibitalia

_**Chapter Two: Sickness and Chibitalia**_

**Next chapter time! Enjoy~ And the reason I put "Chibitalia" in the title is because this chapter is his first official appearance in this story, and I didn't put just "Italy" because it seemed inappropriate since he's about 11 here. Anyway, please still enjoy~**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Hetalia characters. I own nothing else in this story either, unless I use any OC's I created.**_

"Yes, he's certainly alive," the doctor confirmed.

"But… But how!? He's a nation, and the nation he lives for is fading away!" Austria protested. The doctor hesitated. "Well… It seems that he's in… a coma-like state," he said. Austria blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this is a disease that's so rare it's generally unheard of now," he answered. "We have no official term for it; though it's similar to a coma, it's not quite like that."

"Meaning…?" Austria prompted. "Meaning, even though he's unconscious and he's breathing and his heart is beating, like in a coma, he's… he's going to change. His body is going to look younger and younger every month or so, and his mind is going to regress further and further back, slowly erasing his memories by the day. It's likely that he won't remember anyone when he wakes up; that is, _if _he wakes up." There was that lump in Austria's throat again.

"What… What do you mean 'if' he wakes up?" he asked in concern.

"Well, out of the past twelve cases the medical world has seen, only four people survived," the doctor said. "That's because they had aged back into the fetal state before they woke up; and since they had no womb-like area to be placed in, they couldn't survive on their own. Another curious thing is that this seems to only occur in men. How odd…"

Ther was a long pause as Austria imagined the worst scenarios with Italy… Him opening the door and spotting Holy Rome, Austria bluntly telling poor young Italy that his best friend and crush was dead, Hungary finding out and telling Italy (after of course killing Austria with her frying pan), Italy simply hearing the news of the Holy Roman Empire dying off…

The doctor coughed into his fist. Austria looked up. "Hm?" he said.

"Well, I need to get going, if there's nothing else you need…" the doctor said. "Er, w-wait just a moment please! How exactly… should I make sure he gets the proper nutrients?" Austria asked. The doctor frowned and thought for a moment. He rubbed his beard and said, "You know, in all of my years working with nations, I've never quite had a scenario like this before… Let me give my friend's address; she'll know what to tell you, and she's close by, so him dying on you shouldn't be a problem."

He took out a piece of paper, scribbled something down, and handed it to Austria, who raised an eyebrow. "This address is a full-day's trip away," he said dryly. "Yes, but he should be able to support himself for that long. I think… I've never really dealt with people in this sort of state before, so I'm going purely on what I've heard and learned from colleagues," the doctor admitted.

Austria sweatdropped. Whose brilliant idea was it to hire _this _genius anyway? He thanked him and made sure the door was firmly locked before he went back over to Holy Rome. "So, you're a rare one, hm?" he said aloud. He then chuckled. "Well, that's one way someone could describe you, for sure." Austria's smile faded, and he put his face in his hands.

"Oh, Frederich, why? You couldn't possibly have had control over this but… He's still so young. How could I break this to him?" he asked miserably form underneath his hands. He stood in silence for another moment before leaving the room through the window; yes, he chose the window. Austria wanted to be extra sure that no one could get inside- well, easily- while he was away.

Unfortunately, he forgot he was on the second floor, so he plummeted down with his girly scream. The ground seemed harder than usual to Austria when he landed. He writhed in pain, holding his sore arm- thanks to Italy's antics, that arm can no longer be broken- until Italy and Hungary came rushing out.

"Were you on the _roof_!?" Hungary shouted in her pissed-off tone. Austria sat up and nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. He would definitely have more than a few bruises after this one…

"Why were on the roof?" Italy asked with his newly-deepened (but not that deepened) voice. Austria glared at him. "Because I thought it would be fun," he answered sarcastically. "Didn't look that fun to me, considering you fell…" Italy said in confusion.

Austria sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, cursing in German. Even if Hungary understood and got pissy, Italy didn't know a lick of German, so Austria didn't really mind right then. As expected Hungary hit him with her frying pan and then led Italy away from him. Austria sighed and stood up, brushing off his clothes. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his injuries, not to mention the lack of time he had.

Austria went inside to prepare for his journey.

**And here it remains until next weekend. I might post on weekdays occasionally, but I have to deal with school and you what: high school students today have the same anxiety levels as prisoners of mental institutions in the 1950s. So I have a legitimate excuse for only posting on the weekends. Well, see ya! Don't forget to comment, rate, &amp; shit, and respect each other please; I know depression and trust me, it ain't fun. You could lead to depression from one little comment on the internet. I've been talking for too long in this A/N, so yeah. Adios! Nos vemos! (takes Spanish if you can't tell)**


	3. The Epic Quest of Failure Part1

_**Chapter Three: The Epic Quest of Failure part one**_

**Derpy chapter name is derpy XD So, we continue onwards in this story to watch Austria journey to find this doctor he was told about. Who will they be? Keep reading to find out! Also, quick apology: I was supposed to have time skips labeled in the past two chapters, but you guys know this site. Well, I'm trying a new thing here, and hopefully it'll work. And thanks to whoever faved already!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, Hetalia characters, or anything else in this story except for OC's I made up that I might use.**_

Austria had decided that washing up was pointless, considering he was just going to be gone a couple of days anyway. But Hungary, of course, had other ideas. "And why are you not bathing? You fell off of the roof, you're filthy!" she scoffed.

Austria rolled his eyes and, unwisely, ignored her. "Hey, say something!" she yelled after him. When he'd reached his bedroom, still without responding to her, he was hit with her frying pan again.

"Ow!" he shouted. "Hey, I really don't have time for a concussion right now, okay!?" he yelled. She blinked in surprise; he'd never lost his temper over being hit by her frying pan before. "Is everything alright?" she asked as Austria stormed inside his room. "Ja, now go away," he snapped.

She walked into his room without permission, causing him to grind his teeth. "No, everything isn't okay," Hungary said as he pulled out a small traveling bag. "Then why the fuck did you ask!?" he barked. "Well, moving on, what's with the bag? Isn't this _your _place?" she asked.

"Yes, it is, now get out of my business."

"Please, you know I can't; it's, how you said once, 'my nature to stick my arse into other people's businesses'," she quoted. Austria sighed and slumped against the table he'd put the bag on. "Fine, but swear not to tell anyone; _especially _Italy. Italy would _freak _if he heard about this," he relented. "I'll try, but you also said-"

"'It's your nature to spread talk and gossip', ja, ja, I know," Austria said, quoting himself. "Well then get on with it!" Hungary prompted. "I'm… going to speak with a doctor," Austria said nervously. Hungary gasped loudly.

"Wh-what!? Why!? Y-you aren't sick are you!? I told you walking so close to war zones all the time was a bad idea!" she shrieked. _"Elizabeta,"_ Austria hissed in exasperation. "Think about who could hear you." She covered her mouth immediately, remembering the easy-to-scare Italian child just one thin floor above them.

"Look, why I'm going doesn't concern you," Austria said bluntly, returning to his packing.

"But-but I just saw your other doctor leaving. Did you-?"

"I need a second opinion on something, okay!? Now drop it, I'll only be gone two days."

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He'd been gone for longer than two days; at least, that's what it felt like to him. He'd never walked this far at one time in his entire life! He collapsed on the ground a whole 0.965 kilometers away from his mansion.

"Whew! That was so tiring. I've only ever gone 0.804 kilometers before! This is already so exciting!" he cried, showing the side others made fun of- which was kind of why he'd adopted into his current state. He sighed as he remembered his purpose for heading out. Picking up his lightly-packed bag, Austria hoisted himself up onto his feet. This was going to be a _long _trip.

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And this day _couldn't _get any better. Austria's feet had gotten blisters on them not long after taking off; rain had started to fall a couple of hours ago and showed no signs of letting up; Austria had tripped and fallen countless times in both of the he had worn when he left and the extra outfit he'd packed; and he was about five hours behind schedule. Ugh, he was lazier than that new bitch-strong country America when he tried thinking; that is, if America even _tried _to think.

Austria sighed and forced his way up the hill he was climbing at the moment; he frowned when he reached the top. Austria was staring at what appeared to be a village. How the heck had that been built without him knowing until now!?

Well, he was just glad he'd found a place to rest that _wouldn't _be made of mud.

He took one step down the hill and slipped. And lucky him; his head found a rock that knocked him unconscious. _Well,_ he thought, _at least I'll feel too sore to be embarrassed when I wake up._ He saw a feminine face before everything went black.

**Sorry if this one seems choppy, I typed on this on three different days, one being last Saturday, one Tuesday, and then today. Also, would you prefer if I edit this to being one long part, or keep it as two separate parts?**


	4. The Epic Quest of Failure Part 2

_**Chapter Four: The Epic Quest of Failure part two**_

**So, second part. Not much to say but thanks to those who've actually given this a chance. I'm not too used to being just me, and I love sites like this where I can feel more free. Away from the soppy stuff, let's get on with the disclaimer and start the story!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, Hetalia characters, or anything else in this story except for OC's I made up that I might use.**_

Austria groaned and put a hand to his head. Gott_… That rock must've been huge! I feel like _scheisse_,_ he thought. _Hold on…_ He glanced around and wondered where he was. It looked mostly white, so maybe someone had taken him to the local hospital… thing.

He sat up and regretted it immediately; his head spun and he almost vomited. A woman walked in (he thought it was a woman- kind of hard to tell with his head spinning) and shuffled over to him quickly and carefully pushed him back down.

"Take it easy, sir; you looked quite shaken up when I brought you in. It's not really a good idea for you to use so much energy," she said. Yep, female.

"Wh… Where… am I?" he asked weakly.

"A new village in Austria," she chirped. "Gee, had no… clue which country I… w-was in," he said sarcastically, recovering from the dizziness. She frowned and turned to get something. When she turned around, she showed off the piece of paper Austria had carried- the paper with the address.

"So, were you tryin' to reach here?" she asked. Austria nodded, slowly, though, as to not agitate his headache. He was finally able to get a clear picture of her: she had dirty blonde hair that barely fell below her ears, there was a… peculiar curl on her right side of hair (right side from Austria's view), she was wearing a coat made of deer skin and pants, and her eyes were red. Overall, he thought she looked pretty; not that he would ever say that.

She smiled at him. "Well, looks like ya found me!" she exclaimed. He blinked and said, "P-pardon me?"

"Ya found me! I worked there 'til a couple a' days ago, when I moved here," she explained. "Lots a' people in Vienna were complainin' that I wadn't close enough, and since that's where my main business is from, I decided to move closer. Business is pretty slow, ya know, and movin' here sped stuff up a bit." Austria wasn't one who liked hearing chit-chat, so he cut in.

"Um, what exactly is your name?" he asked. She blinked, trying to change her train of thought. "Oh. Um… Most a' my family calls me Ginny," she answered. Austria blinked. "Ginny? That's an odd name," he said. Ginny chuckled. "Most people think so, dear," she said.

Austria sat in silence as she placed the paper away. "Um… I'm not so good with first names," he said eventually. "Hm?" she asked. "Well… I'm not too comfortable dealing with first names; would you mind giving me your last name, Doctor?" he asked uncomfortably.

She frowned and bit her finger. "Well… I ain't sure. I know who I am an' all, but I don't got my exact name yet. Daddy's so picky with names… my three younger siblings an' two a' my older siblings still ain't got their names," she admitted. "But, I hear 'Jones' thrown around a lot with dad, so… I guess call me Ginny Jones, or something."

Austria frowned. "What kind of country are you from?" he asked. "America," she answered proudly. "Odd… I never thought his country would be _that _weird," he muttered. "Hm? Who ya talkin' about?" Dr. Jones asked. Austria flinched. "U-um… Well, let me be honest: have you ever worked with… say, _countries _before?" Her face lit up.

"Oh, which country you from? You Germany? Maybe Prussia? You sound German." She gasped. "No way, ya can't be! A-Austria!?"

"… I'll take that as a yes," he said with a sweatdrop. "Und, ja, I am Austria."

She gasped and sat on the edge of his bed, startling him. "Oh, what's it like to be a nation!? Daddy won't answer none a' my questions, an' I only know what bein' me is like, and it ain't no different, I gotta earn ma own money an' everythin' right now! Daddy says we gotta do our own thing for a while 'til he gets his damn debts payed off. That war wadn't our fault! He can pay his debts ta Toni off on his own!" she rambled. Austria didn't even attempt to keep up with her.

"I-I'm sorry, you said too much at once," he said. She sighed. "Most people say that." She stood up and turned to him. "Sorry, I should really be more considerate, consid'rin' you prob'ly got got a headache," she apologized.

"Er… It's fine," he lied. "Though, I did hear a certain thing… You said your 'Daddy' doesn't answer many of your questions… What does that mean?" She blinked and smiled nervously. "Um… S-sorry, I shoulnd't a' said nothin'; I'm real forgetful," Dr. Jones said.

"So, what was it ya needed?" she asked. It took Austria a moment to remember what he'd asked earlier. "Er… I need to ask you something, but it's going to need a lot of explaining," he said.

She sat on a chair and said, "Go for it. I talk a lot, and I can listen a whole lot, too." Austria sat up slowly and took a breath.

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"Wow… That's a disease I haven't seen in a while," Dr. Jones commented. Austria raised an eyebrow. "You _have _seen this before," he said with a hint of surprise. She chuckled. "Yup. But it's been about ten years." He stared at her, and when she noticed, she asked, "Is somethin' wrong?"

"You… You can't be over twenty! H-how could you have seen this at twelve!?" he asked.

"O-oh, um… My Daddy… H-he works 'round medicine a lot," she explained. "B-but that ain't the point," she said. Dr. Jones stood up and helped Austria put his legs over the side of the bed. "Look, ya said he was a nation?" Austria nodded. "Well, get home; he'll be fine."

"…What?" Austria asked. "Get on back to 'im; he's gonna be fine if he can wake up in time," Dr. Jones said. "So long as his nation didn't end _'fore _his disease kicked in, he dudn't need no outside help." He stared at her blankly.

She frowned and forced her hands down. "I'll go slow. He don't need. Outside help. If his nation was together. When the disease kicked in. His nation abilities will keep him alive," she said slowly. Dr. Jones then released her hands and a breath that she had been holding.

Austria still stared ahead blankly, and Dr. Jones frowned worriedly. "Um… Y-you alright, Mr. Austria?" she asked. "I… ruined two outfits… und wasted two days of my life… to find out… I could've left him all alone… and he would have been just fine," he said in monotone.

Dr. Jones opened her mouth, but Austria shushed her. "Just… I'll just… go home now…" he said in the same tone of voice. Dr. Jones frowned at him worriedly, but she nodded silently and watched him stand up. "But, um… where exactly are ya headed? I could give ya a lift in my wagon or…"

"Nein, nein, it's okay. I should be alright-"

"It's still rainin' pretty bad," she said. "… Where's the wagon at?"

**And off he goes! You guys have fun with your imaginations about who Ginny is, but I think I might've hinted at it a bit much. Next chapter will start at his house, but Ginny does annoy him quite a lot on the trip there. I'm leaving just how up to you guys. Rate, review, and please comment if you have any ideas on how I could improve on write/typing these stories. Also, I apologize for no updates last week, I was at a friend's. (Just saying, **_**Five Nights at Freddy's **_**is not for those who hate horror or getting scared)**


	5. Journey to the Jealousy of the Wife

_**Chapter Five: Journey to the Jealousy of the Wife**_

**Now to have fun watching Austria suffer along-side this American! ^^ Aren't I just so nice to him? Also, I'm REALLY sorry I haven't been updating. My life's just been… complicated recently. I'll try to get back to at least one chapter each weekend, but… It'll be tricky. And recently, my internet's been down, so… Yeah, that'll happen sometimes. Thanks to those who actually give their patience to updating!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or related content.**_

"…and it's _his _fault! We shouldn't need ta pay for _his _debt! He's the one 'at keeps startin' fights with ev'yone. Really, d'ya think it's fair Daddy keeps on forcing' us to pay for him, Mr. Austria? Um, Mr. Austria?"

"Hm? Ja, fine… whatever," he mumbled, half asleep. "Ya know, it's usually not polite to, like, fall asleep when someone's complainin'…" Ginny grumbled. Austria sweatdropped. She was really starting to remind him of a certain teen back at his house… But they couldn't possibly be related, Nation and Human.

"Right, sorry…" Austria muttered. "Well, then that's totally all that matters~!" Ginny chirped. _Note: Treat Ms. Jones like Venneziano Italy,_ Austria thought. "Well, I asked if ya thought me an' my siblings should be payin' Daddy out of his debt," Ginny repeated.

"Of course not! Your father should learn to take care of himself! It's not like he'll have you around for his entire life!" Austria shouted. Ginny grimaced. "I'd prefer not ta think like 'at… I hope I'll live just as long as he does," she said. Austria frowned. _This girl gets weirder by the minute,_ he thought.

"So, you never exactly told me nothin' about yourself."

"Was? Does it matter?" Austria asked. "'Course it does! I gave you a name, now y'all gotta gimme yours!" She bit her lip. "Er… If ya don't mind, Mr. Austria? I… don't feel like bein' kicked out 'cause I yelled at ya…" Austria thought for a minute. _Oh, what the Holle. She _does _already know Nations exist. _"Edelstein. Roderich Edelstein is my human name," he said nervously. "Roderich… Edlestinen?"

"Edelstein."

"Metalstine."

"_Edelstein_."

"Eedlestine?"

"E- Oh close enough," Austria said. Ginny frowned but turned back to the road to turn the horse down the right path. "… And?" "And? What and?" Austria asked.

"I know you're a Nation an' all, but… don't ya have some side-job or somethin'?" Ginny asked. "Er… I fight in wars sometimes…"

"Really? Ya mean ya fight for Austria's military!?"

"Sometimes. I'm generally left to-"

"Work borin'ly, I get it. This talk is borin'," Ginny said. "Well, you are the one-!"

"Let's sing somethin'!"

"… Let's not und say we didn't," Austria said. Ignoring him, Ginny began singing something in Italian. Austria was quite surprised how good she was. Austria could someone with her talent and energy to distract Italy… With that in mind, he fell asleep.

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"Mister Metal? I think I found ya house," Austria heard. "That's Edelstein…" he mumbled. "That's what I said. Now uuuuuupp!" She REALLY sounded like Italy…

Austria sat up from the back of the carriage and said, "I'm up, I'm up… Happy now?"

"AND WHAT ARE YOU DOUING IN ANOTHER WOMAN'S CARRIAGE!?"

"Ah… Shit, you found my house." Then a frying pan knocked him back out.

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"Ugh…" he groaned, grabbing the large, painful bump on his head.

"Heh… Sorry about that dear. The nice woman explained everything while you were out and more," he heard Hungary's voice say.

"The wo- Oh…" Austria slowly remembered the events before his run-in with his wife's skillet.  
"Well… I wish she would've done that before I was hit in the head with a frying pan," he muttered, sitting up. Hungary laughed nervously.

Her face turned serious rather quickly, though. "What… did she have to say to your question? Is it… really that bad?" she asked in concern.

"What? Oh. No, it's actually not too severe at all," Austria said. Hungary sighed in relief. "Good… Um, what exactly is-?"

"Forget it," Austria said harshly. Hungary flinched at the tone he used. "Wh-what!? I just wanted to know what was wrong with you!" she defended. "It… isn't what's wrong with _me_, Elizabeta…" he growled out. "Who then? I feel fine, and Ita isn't acting any differently…" she pushed.

"…I don't think you could keep quiet about it," Austria said. "What!?"

"It's just…" Austria sighed. He dropped his voice to a whisper and stood up. "It's… Holy Rome," he said quietly. Hungary went silent and her face went dark.

"What is it?" she asked seriously.

"… Follow me," Austria said. Hungary jumped up and followed Austria on his heels. He found the key to the room on the floor next to the stairs and frowned.

"Did anyone go in the room I had been in before I left?"

"I thought you'd been on the roof," Hungary said.

"… Before I fell off!" Austria snapped. Hungary giggled. "I knew that, I was teasing!" she said. Austria sighed. "Sorry, I've had a long few days…" he apologized.

"It's okay, I've had them before, too."

_Really? I'd like to hear you say that after I talk with you…_ Austria thought.

He led Hungary up the stairs and to the room, then he turned to her. "Now. Please, Elizabeta… I desperately need you to keep quiet about this. Promise me you'll not say a word until the time is right?"

Hungary bit her lip. She'd never seen or heard him like this before…

"I promise," she said. Austria breathed a small sigh of relief before turning to unlock the door. He pushed the doors open…

**And that's it for this chapter! I would wait a while for the next one because suspense, but… you patient people deserve two more chapters, not just one. So, go on and read the next one! Go! Go on! Why are you still here? Are you seriously still reading this? Go! To the next chapter! Shoo! This is getting annoying! Do you want the next chapter or not!? Make up your mind and go! Should I really type more if THIS is all you want to read? Don't waste more time here! Next chapter! I'm through here! Bye.**


	6. Understandings

_**Chapter Six: Understandings and not**_

**Here I am again already! Did anyone seriously finish the last author not? Wooooooow I regret nothing. XD Anywhoodles, enjoy the new chapter! Or France will find your bedroom…**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing about Hetalia except these cool DVDs. Seriously, it's all seasons but the new one and the movie! But… Hetalia still is not mine entirely… I had nothing to do with the concept or design or anything. I can dream, but I probably never will.**_

He pushed the doors open, and Hungary couldn't help but gasp.

"B-but… What is he…? H-how…?"

"Please, Liz, quiet down." _Is _that_ all he can think to say!? _she thought angrily. "Go sit down und get ready to listen," Austria commanded. Well, it was better…

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"… That's what you've been so desperate to hide," Hungary said at last.

"Ja. You see why, don't you?" Austria asked. "Of course! I'm not an idiot!" Hungary shouted. "Okay, I was just making sure," Austria said.

"Hey… Why so calm and quiet? You usually yell right back in my face and I end up hitting you with my skillet," Hungary said in confusion. "I mean, I'm upset about all of this, too, but…"

"… I guess… I don't know… I feel a whole lot more responsible all of a sudden. We've been watching Italy longer than we should've, so I should feel fine watching over people. But…" Austria put a hand on his head. "This is all just so stressing. He could wake up too late or not at all, Italy will be crushed whether we tell him about Holy Rome's condition or not, caring for Italy in the same house as him…"

"I can solve one of those problems," Hungary said."Oh really?"

"Yes. We just send Italy home-"

"What!? But then… What about the journey down there!? Isn't it dangerous!?" Austria freaked. "I can go with him. Those bad guys who try to attack a child-"

"Teenager," Austria corrected.

"-tomato, potato- could use learning a thing or two from me," Hungary said with a wink. "Ja, like how to use another type of weapon…" Austria mumbled. Hungary smirked. "You just don't want him to leave."

"W-was!? O-of course I want him gone! He's always loud und saying "ve" und asking for something as messy as pasta! He used to steal food and still does sometimes! Why would I w-want Italy here!? Just because he can cook pretty well? Because his art work is good? Because of how well he does his chores? H-hah! Go on then, take him home! I bet his brother has been there alone for a while anyway, knowing Spain," Austria rambled. Hungary giggled.

"Alright, alright. Oh, and try not to fall off the roof again! I do assume you're going to take that way out?" she asked teasingly.

"Oh shut up. …But ja, there isn't really any other option. Even if Italy is leaving, there's still the chance of nosy visitors trying to get in," Austria answered.

"Well, see you!" Hungary said. Then she left, closing the door behind her. Austria sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a moment to recompose himself before locking the door. He then paused a moment. _Is there any point in locking it from the inside if the key can unlock the door either way? _he thought.

"… So that's why Hungary teased me…" he muttered, feeling stupid. He unlocked the door and stepped out into the hall, _then _locking the door.

"Finally figure it out?"

"Shut up, dear," Austria said, blushing. Hungary giggled and placed a kiss on his cheek, not helping his blush any. "My stuff is ready, so I only need Italy. Do get the horse hooked up?"

Austria cleared his throat. "O-of course," he stuttered. Hungary giggled and headed off to the door that lead to the next floor. Austria sighed and placed the key in his pocket. He always did lose himself when Hungary got romantic. He made his way outside to the small shack where they kept the horse.

**And that's that! I might upload chapter seven either today or tomorrow since it's Christmas break. Please let me know how I'm doing and if you like it! Something as simple as a favorite or follow is nice, comments are especially appreciated. Seriously, I can't quite tell how much you guys like this, or if you do at all… I don't want to find out when I'm one chapter from the end that you hate it, that would ruin my ability to finish this! But it's still all up to you if you feel like/can do any of those things. See ya!**


	7. Let the Worry Begin

_**Chapter Seven: Let the Worry Begin!**_

**I'm baaaaack~! Welcome those who read this! I'm sincerely happy if you're actually reading this entire story! I'm so glad some people have the patience to wait for my updates v Well, I also want to apologize for some points that might seem weird (like how I forgot how keys and doors work ./.), but hey, I'm American, what can you do? Well, on Dislcaimer, on Story…!**

_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hetalia. In fact, I own nothing in here but the few OCs that might pop in from time to time.**_

Austria undid the horse's reigns and stroked its snout. "You always have been a cut one, Gil," he said with a smile. _I still can't believe Prussia got me to name this horse after him… Heh, jokes on him, this horse is female,_ Austria thought deviously. Austria stroked her snout a bit more before walking her out of her stable.

"…tria, Austria, Austria, Austria…!" he heard. "Hm?" he said involuntarily. "Who on Earth is shouting for me…?" he muttered. As the shouting got closer, he recognized it to be Hungary.

"Why is she so loud all of a sudden?" he asked the air. Something hit him that scared him greatly. _No, she couldn't have been wrong… Right? Of course she was right! Holy Rome… Frederich…_

Austria forced Gilbert back into the stall and ran to the door regardless of his self comfort. Hungary almost ran right into him, still shouting. "What happened!? Hungary, I'm right here! What-!?" Hungary shoved a paper at him. "What's…?" Austria asked before spotting the scrawl on the paper. It took a minute, but he eventually made out:

_Dear Mr. Austria,_

_I heard what you said. I know I'm pathetic and weak, but… I thought you didn't care. I guess I was wrong. I'm leaving to live with my brother back home! That's right, I know he's back already. I'm not that stupid. Anyway bye_

Austria's first coherent thought was, _looks like Hungary taught him to write well, and in English. _His next was far less kid friendly. Austria tore the small paper to shreds and swore vehemently. Hungary backed up a step as he raged, but she eventually got brave enough to touch his arm.

"WHAT!?" he screamed. "Listen, I'm just as worried about him as you are, but this isn't going to do a thing! We need to gather a search party-"

"Oh, ja, I'm sure alerting Spain and Romano und France about this will make them _perfectly HAPPY!_" Austria shouted. Hungary slapped him. "Snap out of it, Roderich! They might get mad, sure, but that's _if _they find out about this!" she shouted. Austria opened his mouth to shout some more, but he paused to register what she said.

"Are you… Are you seriously suggesting we leave some of his closest family in the dark about him disappearing?" Austria asked. "Well, what else could we do? They'll blame us if they find out. Really, it's all your fault," Hungary said.

"I- How is it _my _fault!?" he shouted.

"Because of what you said back in the room about not wanting him around!" Hungary countered. "Th-that-! You know I didn't mean it like that!" Austria spat. "Well, do you think he knew?" she challenged. Austria opened his mouth but shut it just as quickly.

_She's right, smart one… He may be smarter than humans, but he's still a lot like a child, _he thought. He sat down in the mud, head hidden in his arms. "I'm an awful person…" he said.

"Well moping won't help him either! We need to-"

"How can we form a search party without alarming the other Nations!? How!?" Austria screamed. "Well, what about Ginny?" Hungary asked.

"Ginny…? Ah, Ms. Jones, that's right," Austria recalled. "But what about her? Isn't she a ways down the road?" he asked.

"Well, er, the… We have to use the carriage," Hungary said. "Say, why didn't you-?"

"Shut up," Austria snapped. Hungary sighed. "Right… Anyway, you should hook Gil up to the carriage; I'll run get you a change of clothes," she said. Before he could protest, she ran back to the house.

Austria was still for another moment before he stood up and brushed his clothing off a little. _She's right: his risk of attack or injury is greater by the minute,_ he thought. He walked into the shack and back up to Gilbert's stall. He appeared a bit darker than before, so the horse cowered away a little.

"It's not you who needs to be afraid of anything," he said lowly. "It's anyone who dares mess with Feliciano Vargas. Now, come closer so I can get you out…" The horse backed up into a corner. Austria sweatdropped and grit his teeth.

"I'm in no mood to play. Now stop acting like your namesake and obey me!" he shouted. Gilbert only whinnied in fear.

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"No, I'm sure it was that way!"

"We went that way last time!" Hungary shouted. "Look, go sit in the back, I can find the way myself." Austria huffed and slid backwards, a bit like a child would with their mother if they were unhappy.

"Honestly, how did you make it there last time?" Hungary asked. Austria mumbled something she couldn't catch and the subject was dropped.

After a while of navigation, they found a small village where Hungary found a young man to watch their ride. "Now, where was her tent?"

"Um…" Austria answered. Hungary sighed. "Why did I even bother?" she asked herself. While Austria indignantly argued his point to himself, Hungary went into the nearest pub to ask if they knew where the doctor's tent was. Turns out the men there weren't any use until they met with her skillet.

"It's about time we got here!" Hungary cried when they finally found it.

"Um, Ginny?" she asked into the tent.

"One sec!" they heard her call. When she walked up and saw them, she smiled.

"Hi there Mr. and Mrs. Edelstein!" Ginny greeted.

"Why do you remember my last name now!?" Austria asked furiously. Ginny blinked. "Um, haven't I always?" she asked in confusion. _Just… let it go Austria… Remain calm, remember how to breathe…_

"Of. Course. You. Have," he said.

"Um, Ginny," Hungary interrupted. "Yeah? Ya need somethin', right?"

"Yes, I'd like to call in a favor," Hungary confirmed.

"What?" Austria asked. "See, Mr. Ed, when I care for someone, I always tell 'em 'just come find me if ya need a favor!' I just feel like I should," Ginny explained. "Oh…"

"Well, we need you to get some people together for us," Hungary said. "Straight to the point as ya husband, hm? Well, alright. I know plen'y a' people to rally up! But how many? An' why d'ya need 'um?"

"It's actually priv-" Austria began.

"We have a younger Nation at our house, but he ran away today," Hungary explained. "Hungary!" Austria yelled. "What? We can't lie, she needs to know!"

"Alright, alright, just calm down for a minute," Ginny said. She wandered off into another room, leaving Austria to silently fume at Hungary, and her to glare in confusion and anger right back.

"Hi! Yeah, I know…" they heard all of a sudden. "Who on Earth is she talking to, a patient?" Hungary asked.

"I'm not sure… Let's go see," Austria whispered. "Hey, we can't just- Oh, fine!" Hungary agreed. The two of them snuck up to the makeshift doorway and peered into the next room. Their jaws dropped at what they saw.

**And there you go! I really shouldn't have done this because I'm supposed to be getting ready to visit my family for a Christmas celebration, but I thought I should give this out as a sort of Christmas gift, especially considering I have no time for an actual Christmas story. Well, I probably won't be getting a story or chapter up tomorrow because it's Christmas Day then, so merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone! See you soon, and again thanks for the support!**


	8. Leaving

_**Chapter Eight: Leaving**_

**Um, wow. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but my HetaOni story has me a bit distracted, plus I've lost like half my inspiration for this. Don't worry, I'll still be updating, it just may take a bit longer than usual. Will you still read anyway? Please? At least help with my writer's block? PLEASE? I really do want to continue this it's just… **

**And I'm sorry if you wanted to see the party and the search and blah, but this is what happens when you don't like your idea and no one helps you with writers block. Seriously? I thought SOMEONE could help me…**

**Oh, and to make this chapter even more uplifting, listen to "My Immortal" by Evanescence while you read! Like I did when typing this…**

_**Disclaimer: Still don't own a thing.**_

"Really, what _were _you thinking!?" Austria shouted as Hungary herded him inside. The young Italian didn't answer. "Well!?"

"I heard what you said to Ms. Hungary!" The outburst startled the couple. "Wh-what I said!? Italy, p-please, that was days ago, I can't remember-!"

"Then let me remind you!" Italy said harshly. "'I don't like him at all! He sleeps all the time, he sneaks food around, is loud, _und-' _" He accented it harshly and mockingly. "-always wants messy pasta! I want him _gone!'_" His eyes were slightly teary.

"I-Ita… P-please, I-I didn't- If you'd heard what I said next-!"

"If I heard what you'd said next I wouldn't have been so careful when I jumped out my window!" Hungary and Austria stared at him in shock. What he'd just suggested…

Austria turned around swiftly. "Hungary. Take him und some _proper_ supplies to his home in Italy," he ordered in a dull tone.

"Austria…? He doesn't have-"

"To his brother, then! Just go, now!" he shouted, not daring to turn around and show his tears. "R-Rod-!"

"You told me Spain kept him! He wasn't there, so I couldn't go!" Italy shouted. "… Let's go, Ita," Hungary said sweetly. He stood still the entire time they were gone. When they were back, he heard someone walk out. After that came the light, almost inaudible footsteps that slowly walked up behind him.

"Mist… Austria, I… I used to think you cared. You said you did, but… I know you don't really, now." Strike one. "You told me Fratello wasn't at my home. _My home which isn't here._" Strike two. "Now, I… I don't think I care. About you, I mean. I don't think I ever can. In fact, I… You might be the one person I hate." Strike three. Austria forced his body to keep up long enough for Italy to get out of the house. Then he collapsed on the ground, crying his heart out.

He wanted to take back the untrue remarks, to tell Italy he loved him like a son. He wanted to apologize for the lie, to send him home to his brother and provide undying protection for them forever. He wanted to tell Italy about Holy Rome before he found out and hated him more.

But most of all, he wanted Italy to still be here. Hungary would be here, yes, and she was beautiful. But she was no adorable child to love in another way, not an innocent bright light. And they had known each other for centuries, he'd only known Italy for a few hundred years.

Austria could admit it: he was a miserable, lonely man.

**And here we go! So glad my first update on this in forever is totally NOT depressing. Hey, I'm really just glad to get you guys a new chapter. Ya know, you, single person who ACTUALLY cares… Well, I'm going to try to update this again soon, but I can make no promises. Please guys, give this a fav, follow, comment, suggest a friend, just give this something to let me know you care!**


	9. Nostalgia

**I'm here again, guys! I just couldn't help it, something's giving me a pretty good spark of inspiration~! I hope this doesn't stop suddenly! …CRAPWHYDIDISAYTHAT!? Well, better take advantage of this while I still have it… Oh, and I don't own a thing but my OCs!**

When Austria woke up, the sun had left the sky. He rubbed his sore body as he sat up, wondering what had happened. Then it came flooding back to him, and he bit his lip, feeling his eyes water again.

_Shit… I can't be like this all the time! I _do_ still have a wife, a Nation, a Nation who could wake up at any time…_ he thought hurriedly. He took a deep breath and forced himself up. He seemed prone to sleeping in odd positions lately: first during the battle where he very nearly _had_ fallen asleep curled under a tree, on a hill unconscious for who-knows-how-long, standing up the one time he got sleep while searching for Italy, now on his stomach in the middle of his entryway…

He went into his room and stripped, stepping under the shower. He stood under the spray, completely still, trying to clear his mind. He failed to do so, instead being met by a memory:

_Ah, the water felt good… It might not have been a perfect system, but it was nice to finally be able to wash up inside his house without help…_

"_Mr. Austria!" Italy cried with a smile, bursting the door open. _

"_I-ITALY VENEZIANO!"_

_And thus, they put a metal rod up on the ceiling and draped a blanket over it, hoping to prevent another incident like that for poor Italy's young mind._

He gave a dark chuckle, which turned into a sad, loud laugh. It wasn't like anyone could hear him anymore…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was still dark outside, but Austria had showered/cleared his head somewhat, put on the same clothes, checked on Holy Rome (no change at all), nibbled at some cake, and checked through his stack of paperwork(it was three papers). Now, he walked outside and looked for the moon.

It was a bit cloudy, but he found it sitting not far up in the sky. It was close to day, but it wasn't quite. He breathed in the late night/early morning air and let his mind empty. When he breathed out, however, he was met with another memory, this one much more depressing:

"_Ve~! Hi Mr. Austria! What are you doing out here so late?" Startled, the Austrian looked down to his right._

"_Und I could ask _you_ what you're doing up," he said. "But I won't," he added when Italy opened his mouth. He squatted down and put a hand on Italy's shoulder, then looking back up. "You see that, Italy? The night sky? It's beautiful… So many stars…"_

"_Yeah, it is… It almost reminds me of your music." Austria looked at Italy, who's eyes were wide open at the sky. "It's so pretty, yet so mysterious… So many unanswered questions with no explanation… You want to know but you don't…" Austria recovered from his shock, thinking, _Idiot, his nation is filled with amazing art of all kinds… Of course he knows some about it, even as a child…

"_Well, the reason I come out here is actually kind of related to that." Italy looked at him. "Really?" he asked. "Ja. I've come up with many a pieces of music just by staring at this beautiful sky," Austria answered. Italy gasped. "Y-you're lying! How!?"_

"_Because, standing out here in the silence, looking at such a pretty sight… It clears the mind._

Austria opened his eyes, unaware they had closed. He more forced them open, his mind wanting to linger on the memory. He looked at the moon again. "Oh, Italy… I'm so sorry…" he mumbled.

000o000o000o000o000o000

Italy and Hungary had stopped at a small home that housed people with no other place to go. There was none for those two, not in this area at least. Now, the young teen Nation sat at the window, staring. He only heard the sounds of crickets and Hungary's light snoring.

He was still very sad from what all he'd learned, still a bit mad, too.

But what he really felt was guilt. He hated having to say those things to Mr. Austria, but… he deserved it. Or… did he? Italy was now questioning himself, trying to answer a million questions at once. Then he spotted the moon, high in the night sky.

A memory came to him of a much younger him wandering outside after initially trying to sneak some food up to his room. He smiled faintly at it, but the smile quickly faded as the memories of the past four days ran through his head.

"Mr. Austria… I may still be unhappy, but… I don't hate you. I'm sorry…" He slid off of the chair ad climbed into the bed with Ms. Hungary.

**I'm sorry I keep making this story stray from HRE, since this IS kinda his story, but this all builds up to it in its own way, trust me. I have half a plan~!**

**Every Nation: *facepalm***

**Me: Well, it's better than no plan! Alright, hopefully I'll see you again~! Until then, bye~~!**


	10. The Sorrows of War

**Sorry the updates are always so far apart with this, inspiration is just slow. I don't get a whole lot anymore, since most people seem to want me to focus on **_**HetaOni: AS**_**. I love that fic a lot, it's just… I love HRE and Chibitalia and want to write this fic, but it really feels like it's just some silly story taking up space and not being read. Plus it was my first story that I planned to make long, so… yeah.**

**Big thanks Maya and Flame! Maya, it's not that I don't care, it's just… I feel like **_**the readers**_** don't care. Y/W for the fic, BTW. But I don't exactly see the huge deal about it… Flame, I won't. But I will stop the poll. Thanks for all the YESes! (only 3, but hey, that's good 'nough!) If you're sure you wouldn't be bothered from anything by helping me, I'm goin to contact you ASAP! Augh… dangit, you two are making get emotional that I suddenly have people **_**actually**_** telling me that this story isn't the disaster I thought it was . I'll keep this going as long as I can, but there might be a ot of time-skips to get to important parts. Well, let's get on with this chappie (finally) before I start crying or something!**

_Two months later…_

France put his face in his hands. How could he have tried to kill Holy Rome? Someone who was practically his _brother_? Not to mention he was just visited by Italy…

"_Big Brother France!" a cute voice cried. France turned around and saw a teen in a loose tan shirt and black pants running up excitedly to him. "Ah, hello!" he said with a smile. _Who is this kid…?_ He wondered. _

"_Ve, ciao, France! How have you been?" the teen asked immediately. France blinked. "Italy, is that you!? Look how you've grown! And your voice is deeper!" he exclaimed. _Remarkably deeper for your gender…

"_I know, I know! I finally sound like a dude, even if it's kind of homo!" Italy cried joyfully. France jumped a bit before recovering his smile and saying, "Oui, it's wonderful!"_

"_Ve~! I know! Oh hey, I heard some great news on my way over here; Holy Rome's war is over! So, where is he at now?" France had felt worse than being stabbed, because at least the sword didn't have an adorable, lovable face or cute voice that was so full of hope._

"_Um…" France answered. Italy tilted his head, smile turning into a worried frown. "What… What is it?" he asked. "It's… I mean, er… Italy…" He had never felt so much like a monster, not even when he had been forced to work the guillotine during the Great Terror. "B… big Brother… Where's Holy Rome?" Italy repeated. France fixated on the ground. "He… He is in the history books, Italy… I'm sorry."_

Italy had denied the claim, demanding angrily hat France tell the truth. He did. France told him about the last battle, about his leader's decision to dissolve the "empire", about Holy Rome's division.

Then France had learned about Italy's feelings for Holy Rome. He normally would have felt ecstatic to hear about love, but then he'd almost cried. Italy had blamed him, yelling and crying, drawing a lot of attention to them even if none of them knew what was being said. France didn't even know Italian, but when he'd turned to it, there was really only one phrase he _needed_ to understand: _"Ti odio!"_

France took a long gulp from his wine bottle, trying to drown away Italy's angry face, to drown away Holy Rome's young face, to drown away himself and his horrible evil self. _You couldn't have known_ the rational part of him said. _Screw you_ was his response. _I am the country of love, I _should_ have known!_

_How? You only saw him once during his time under Holy Rome's rule, and who knows if that was after they fell in love!_

_Of course it was, cretin! I saw love in Holy Rome's eyes, I just didn't realize it was for Italy!_

_See! You didn't-!_

_Shut up._ He took another look drink of wine, trying to drown out his rational side forever.

**And I finally get back to France! I'm sorry I forgot you, Papa!**

**France: I almost wish you had…**

**Me: Whatever. So, was this good continuation? Or should I have gone through a little more of what happened before? I feel like I should've put in a cutesy reunion with the Itas, but… Maybe as a flashback in a later chappie? Or would you prefer I edit this one? Either way I'm actually really happy with this update! It feels like it's important to the story (which it is, trust me), it's taking up space while I try to figure out what else to type about Austria and Hungary (besides le bedtimes, this is "T for teen" not "T for T-bagging"), and it gives some insight to France's feelings! Hope you guys enjoyed it, cause I did~! Not the sadness, but the content. Well, see ya next time Mini-Masters. Au revoir!**


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